“Every year that the Sugar Loaf resort remains closed, more and more people leave the area,” says David Shiflett, Leelanau County Commissioner. “The businesses are floundering, their struggling to survive.”

Shiflett decided — on his own time — to start an online petition to encourage the county to help private investors take over the resort.

“My personal belief is ‘let’s give it a whole new look, wipe the slate clean, start with a new plan and go from there.'”

Background (Preamble)

Since the winter of 2000, Sugar Loaf resort has been closed, resulting in a loss of the employment for over 300 people at the resort itself, not to mention the impact on the economy of Leelanau County, and the Grand Traverse region as a whole.

The residents, business owners, and tax payers can no longer accept the fate of what once was our economic engine. It’s time to take control and form a public/private collaborative for re-development.

Petition

We, the undersigned Leelanau County tax payers, residents, visitors, and friends, call on Leelanau County’s Landbank authority, Brownfield Redevelopment authority, Economic Development Corporation, with assistance from Leelanau County Board of Commission, Cleveland Twp. Board, Centerville Twp. Board, to take the necessary steps to get control of the lands, buildings, recreational facilities, and Infrastructure that make up the historical Sugar Loaf Resort Hotel, Ski Runs, Sugar Barn, and Sugar Loaf Service Company and Sewer Plant, including, if necessary, the formation of a nonprofit or municipal entity to manage the facility for the benefit of the entire community.

We urge all private and governmental entities, and all citizens, to come together in a joint effort to bring about the redevelopment of this significant community asset.

Although I don’t reside in the area, I have been retreating there since 1964. I hope somehow this issue gets resolved not only because it would be great to ski and golf at the resort again but it might take some of the elopement pressure off other adjacent areas. It would assist in defining a “destination” so all would benefit. Those requiring the amenities and those providing.

The brownfield board and other county agencies are asking for $10.5 million under the state’s allotment of the stimulus package to purchase the resort and a supporting wastewater treatment facility, parcels now owned by separate parties. They’d make upgrades, then offer the combined property for sale with public financing and other incentives.

“We don’t want to be in the ownership position for very long at all … the goal is to incentivize it so it allows private development to get involved, take control and be profitable,” Shiflett said.